The Happy Hollisters

The Happy Hollisters is a series of books about a family who loves to solve mysteries. The series was created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. All books were ghostwritten under the pseudonym Jerry West by Andrew E. Svenson. The series was illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton.

The Hollister family includes five children, their parents, a family of cats, and a dog. Pete is the oldest of the Hollister children and is 12 years old. Pam, or Pamela, is ten years old, loves sports, and is very adventurous. Ricky is a red-headed, rambunctious 7-year-old and Holly is a 6-year-old tomboy. The youngest is Sue, age 4.

Their father, Mr. Hollister, owns a general store named the Trading Post where he sells hardware, sporting goods, and toys. Mrs. Hollister tries to help her children solve mysteries and is always ready with handy tips for solving clues.

Joey Brill and Will Wilson appear as a rival of the Hollister family in most books. Although they are not actually villains, they appear as obstacles in most plots.

The Hollister family was based on Svenson's own real-life wife and six children who were raised in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Of the Hollister characters, only Sue is an amalgam, based on Svenson's youngest two children (daughters Eileen and Ingrid). The series was translated into over ten languages worldwide but is currently out of print. New books were originally made available as part of a subscription series with prices ranging from $1.00 to $1.50 per title.

Publishing History

The series was published between 1953 - 1970.

Volumes 1 - 19 were published by Garden City.

Volumes 20 - 33 were published by Doubleday.

All subsequent reprints during this time period were done by Doubleday.

List of Titles

*"# 1 The Happy Hollisters"
*"# 2 The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip"
*"# 3 The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach"
*"# 4 The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure"
*"# 5 The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain"
*"# 6 The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake camp"
*"# 7 The Happy Hollisters and the Trading Post Mystery"
*"# 8 The Happy Hollisters at Circus Island"
*"# 9 The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort"
*"#10 The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm"
*"#11 The Happy Hollisters and the Merry-Go-Round Mystery"
*"#12 The Happy Hollisters and the Old Clipper Ship"
*"#13 The Happy Hollisters at Lizard Cove"
*"#14 The Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery"
*"#15 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Totem Faces"
*"#16 The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery"
*"#17 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery in Skyscraper City"
*"#18 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid"
*"#19 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery at Missile Town"
*"#20 The Happy Hollisters and the Cowboy Mystery"
*"#21 The Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery"
*"#22 The Happy Hollisters and the Secret of the Lucky Coins"
*"#23 The Happy Hollisters and the Castle Rock Mystery"
*"#24 The Happy Hollisters and the Cuckoo Clock Mystery"
*"#25 The Happy Hollisters and the Swiss Echo Mystery"
*"#26 The Happy Hollisters and the Sea Turtle Mystery"
*"#27 The Happy Hollisters and the Punch and Judy Mystery"
*"#28 The Happy Hollisters and the Whistle Pig Mystery"
*"#29 The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery"
*"#30 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Golden Witch"
*"#31 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Mexican Idol"
*"#32 The Happy Hollisters and the Monster Mystery"
*"#33 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls"